1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording/playback apparatus and a recording medium recording and/or playback apparatus. More specifically, the invention relates to a recording/playback apparatus and a recording medium recording and/or playback apparatus having a lid body for opening and closing an opening portion.
2. Background of the Invention
For example, there is a recording/playback apparatus which performs recording/playback on an optical disc that is an example of a disc-shaped recording medium on which recording or playback or both of them are performed. And there is a version of the recording/playback apparatus in which a cover body is supported by a chassis so as to be openable and closable in a state that the cover body is urged by rotational force in a direction from an open position to a closed position. In this type of recording/playback apparatus, a disc cartridge accommodating an optical disc is inserted into the chassis in such a manner that at the time of the insertion the front surface of the cover body is pressed and thereby the cover body is turned toward the open position.
However, in the above recording/playback apparatus, since the cover body can always be turned irrespective of whether a disc cartridge exists in the chassis, there is a possibility that another disc cartridge is inserted even in a state that the optical disc of a disc cartridge is already mounted on a turn table of a mounting portion that is provided inside the apparatus.
For example, there is known a recording/playback apparatus which prevents the above-mentioned erroneous insertion by automatically placing, in the vicinity of an insertion/removal mouth, a preventive plate for preventing insertion of another disc cartridge through the insertion/removal mouth in a state that one disc cartridge or an optical disc is already mounted. However, the apparatus that prevents erroneous insertion by means of the preventive plate needs a mechanism for moving the preventive plate inside the chassis, and hence its size is increased. In particular, if such a mechanism is used in a portable recording/playback apparatus, the portability of the apparatus is impaired by its increase in size.
The above-mentioned rotational force for urging the cover body toward the closed position is produced by, for instance, a tension coiled spring that is tensely provided between the cover body and the chassis. To allow smooth insertion of a disc cartridge into the chassis, the resilient force of the tension coiled spring is set relatively weak. Therefore, particularly in a portable recording/playback apparatus, the cover body clatters due to vibration or the like that occurs during use of the apparatus, causing problems that a user may feel a sense of incongruity while using the apparatus and it may be a source of noise.
In a conventional method in which the cover body is turned by using a disc cartridge in ejecting it through the insertion/removal mouth, the weight of the cover body and the force of pressing the cover body toward the closed position are exerted on a holder via the disc cartridge. Therefore, a heavy load is imposed on the disc cartridge during an ejecting operation.
Therefore, for example, where ejection is effected by manipulating an ejection knob that is slidably provided at the side of the apparatus, it is necessary to manipulate the ejection knob with strong force, which causes a heavy load on the finger. Where ejection is effected by moving the holder with a motor, large motor torque is needed, which causes, for instance, a problem that the size of the motor is increased.
In a conventional method in which the cover body is turned by using a slide lever that is moved in link with an ejection knob during a disc cartridge ejecting operation, a slide lever needs to be moved over a distance corresponding to the rotation amount of the cover body from the closed position to the open position. Since a space for the above movement distance needs to be secured in the recording/playback apparatus, the size of the recording/playback apparatus is increased accordingly.